Advertisement
- NEWS & COMMENTARY
Oklahoma tornado: How you can help
Jewish groups are joining the effort to help those displaced by the tornado in suburban Oklahoma City.
A prayer for Oklahoma
Lord our God, we stood before You just a week ago to receive the Ten Statements of Your Torah. We stood, as though with our ancestors, and listened to the Torah reader chant descriptions of the smoking mountain, the thunderous…
Chabad center taking in Oklahomans displaced by deadly tornado
A Chabad center in Oklahoma City opened its building as a shelter for those displaced by a deadly tornado.
- HOLLYWOOD
Justin Timberlake and Coen brothers answer Jewish questions at Cannes
Using his preternatural smoothness, Justin Timberlake saved the Coen brothers from some serious awkwardness at a Cannes press conference for their folk singer film “Inside Llewyn Davis” on Sunday. “Jewish…
Sean Penn lobbies for Charedi man imprisoned in Bolivia
Actor Sean Penn urged a congressional hearing to pressure Bolivia to release a haredi Orthodox father of five under house arrest in the country.
Mel Brooks’ top 10 Jewy Jewish scenes [VIDEO]
Monday night marks the national premier broadcast of the American Masters installment on Mel Brooks. To mark the occasion, we’ve put together a collection of Brooks’ best Jewish clips.
- LIFE & CULTURE
Sarah Silverman sings about staying home in ‘Perfect Night’
For your listening pleasure, “Perfect Night,” in which Sarah Silverman recounts the benefits of skipping the club for the couch. Because this is a Silverman production you can expect references…
Maccabi Tel Aviv back on top but coach future uncertain
Champions Maccabi Tel Aviv have reasserted their dominance of Israeli soccer but media reports on Tuesday suggested they might have to continue their revival without coach Oscar Garcia.
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
- BLOGS
State 194: A Documentary About Palestine
Opening this weekend at Laemmle’s Music Hall 3 is a very hot-button new documentary called State 194, which follows the recent history of Palestine. Many will approach this film with…
7 Rules for Perfect Hummus
When was the last time you opened a tub of hummus and swooned? When was the last time a restaurant put a plate of hummus in front of you, and…
What would my Israeli grandmother think?
When I hear about the latest events in Israel – the air strikes on weapons facilities in Syria, the flare-ups over women donning prayer shawls at the Western Wall –…
- JUDAICA STORE
- INFO
Mobile
Read the JJ
Community/Events
Advertisement
Author Page
Ryan Torok
May 18-24
Events throughout Los Angeles. Food festival, Shavuot activities, Allan Sherman and more.
AJU gets Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton — former secretary of state, U.S. senator from New York and first lady — will take the stage at the 2013 American Jewish University’s (AJU) Public Lecture Series this summer.
Moving and Shaking
More than 1,200 youths and their foster parents from Los Angeles County participated in Foster Mother’s Day on May 12, a day filled with food, carnival games, arts and crafts, and a clothing boutique and beauty.
Moving and Shaking
Rabbi Jonathan Bernhard named Board of Rabbis SoCal president, Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel is opening early childhood center, Harry Corre and Janice Kamenir-Reznik honored
Big Sunday Weekend goes beyond community service
Phil Rosenthal, creator and executive producer of the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond,” was leading a game of Bingo in the annex dining room at Canter’s Deli on the morning of May 5 — not a bad way to spend Big Sunday Weekend, the annual festival of community service that featured more than 150 projects this year.
Calendar Picks and Clicks: May 11–17, 2013
Known as “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” the five-time Grammy-nominated Feinstein covers classics from musical theater as well as the songs of Frank Sinatra and other standards. $40-$85. 8 p.m. California State University, Northridge, Valley Performing Arts Center, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. (818) 677-8800. valleyperformingartscenter.org.
Springs Fire forces evacuations for Jewish institutions in Ventura County
Synagogue leaders are reporting that the Springs Fire has affected Jewish institutions in Ventura County, including Malibu camps run by Wilshire Boulevard Temple (WBT) and synagogues Temple Ner Ami, Temple Etz Chaim and Temple Adat Elohim.
Young Dems get J caucus
Indicating that a new group will come together around issues of interest to the Jewish community, the official youth arm of the California Democratic Party recently chartered a Jewish caucus.
Turning teens into police officers
Roberta Weintraub, a 77-year-old political activist and former president of the L.A. Unified School District Board of Education, has always had a soft spot for the men and women in blue.
Moving and Shaking
Cantor Tifani Coyot of Temple Kol Tikvah in Woodland Hills has been named the successor to Cantor Evan Kent at Temple Isaiah. Kol Tikvah announced that Coyot had taken the job with Isaiah in March. She will take over for Kent in July, by which time Kol Tikvah hopes to have a replacement.
Calendar Picks and Clicks: May 4-10, 2013
America’s largest community service festival, which started in 1999 as Temple Israel of Hollywood Mitzvah Day, attracts nearly 50,000 people from every neighborhood, race, religion, ethnicity and socioeconomic group to hundreds of projects in communities across Southern California. Volunteer projects include such activities as planting gardens at schools, fixing up homeless shelters and sprucing up dog parks. Big Sunday Weekend also features concerts, book fairs and blood drives. Fri. Through May 5. Various times. Free. Various locations. (323) 549-9944.
Calendar Picks and Clicks: April 27–May 3, 2013
American Friends of Hebrew University’s Los Angeles Regional Annual Leadership Education Forum features leading Hebrew University faculty and alumni as well as local leaders from the fields of academic and political affairs, security and intelligence, and medical science. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong delivers the keynote lecture, “Buying Time Against Cancer.”
It’s official: Kate Upton isn’t going to Jake Davidson’s prom
Moving and Shaking
Leaders from Los Angeles’ Jewish and Israel communities came together to celebrate Yom HaZikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for its fallen soldiers and victims of terror, on April 14 at Stephen S. Wise Temple in Bel Air.
Nazi role-playing at Santa Monica High School causes stir
Generally, expert advisers counsel against teaching about the Holocaust by having students do exercises that re-create the experience. Role-play activities can reinforce negative views, stereotype group behavior and are pedagogically unsound, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Lag B’Omer Calendar 2013
LGBT-friendly congregation Beth Chayim Chadashim hosts its inaugural Lag B’Omer celebration with singing around the fire pit at its new campus. Sat. 7-9 p.m. Free. Beth Chayim Chadashim, 6090 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 931-7023. bcc-la.org.
From Yiddish cartoons to Woody Allen, a Tent for young adults
During a recent Friday at the Writers Guild on Fairfax Avenue, scenes from Woody Allen films screened after clips from “Curb Your Enthusiasm;” Lenny Bruce records were passed around the room and conversation centered on Jewish assimilation in American life and its connection to Jewish funnymen onscreen.
Mazel Tov, Israel; Shalom, Mayor Villaraigosa
Photographs of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa play on a large screen. In one photograph, he’s with Israeli President Shimon Peres. In others, he is visiting the Western Wall, walking at a kibbutz and greeting Israeli soldiers.
April 20–26
The 18th annual Festival of Books features more than 100 panels, stage presentations, music and children’s programs. Authors include Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket), singer Lisa Loeb, chef Susan Feniger and Journal contributors Jonathan Kirsch and Bill Boyarsky. Historian Jon Wiener moderates a discussion on “Holocaust Lives” with panelists Kirsch, Joe Bialowitz, Lillian Faderman and Marione Ingram. Sat. Through April 21. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Saturday), 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Sunday). Free (indoor Conversations and Book Prizes require tickets). University of Southern California campus, Los Angeles. events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks.
Pan Pacific Park draws generations for Yom HaShoah
As Holocaust survivor Robert Geminder led a walking tour in Pan Pacific Park on April 7, pre-arranged memory markers — labeled “ghettos,” “camps,” “resistance” and “rescue” — transformed an outdoor path into a historical timeline.
Jewish baseball exhibition
You don’t have to be the next Sandy Koufax — or even a Major League Baseball player — to make it into an upcoming exhibition related to Jews and America’s pastime at the National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH).
April 13-19
L.A. young adult groups celebrate Israel’s 65th Independence Day. This blue-and-white party (dress accordingly) at Hollywood club Lure features spinning by DJ Aviel, live performance art and drumming, drinks and kosher catering. 21 and older. Sat. 8:30 p.m. (“Get Back Israel Fair”), 9:30 p.m. (club night). $18 (online), $25 (door). Lure Nightclub, 1439 Ivar Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 761-8138. jewishla.org/unite.
Moving and Shaking
Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Koretz saluted the new PBS documentary, “The Passions and Politics of Ed Edelman: An Untold Story of Leadership in Los Angeles,” during a ceremony honoring Edelman on March 27 at City Hall.
Kate Upton prom invite goes viral
A YouTube video of a Milken Community High School student asking out a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model has caused a media frenzy over the past two weeks — and racked up more than 2.3 million views in the process.
Calendar Picks and Clicks: April 6-13, 2013 [YOM HASHOAH CALENDAR]
This Arab-Jewish ensemble, composed of three members of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and four musicians from Israel’s Arab community, performs a concert for peace in honor of Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel’s 65th birthday. Sun. 4-6 p.m. Free. Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Irmas Campus, 11661 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. (424) 208-8932.
Moving and Shaking
Los Angeles City Hall held its first-ever Passover celebration, which was organized by the Board of Rabbis of Southern California and The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.
Justin Bieber’s guitarist visits Auschwitz-Birkenau with March of the Living
Archbishop Gomez addresses AJC
Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez spoke about Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s election as pope of the Roman Catholic Church, immigration reform and Catholic-Jewish relations during a dialogue organized by the American Jewish Committee of Los Angeles (AJC) on March 19.
March 30-April 5
Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), longtime writer for “Saturday Night Live,” discusses “How the Jewish Tradition Has Influenced One Senator” for the University of Southern California’s 12th annual Warschaw Distinguished Lecture.
USC student Samuel Levine dies tragically
Students grieve at Temple Ahavat Shalom over death of 14-year-old
Moving and shaking
Los Angeles educator Jason Ablin has been hired as the principal of general studies at Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy. Ablin, who has served as the coordinator of curriculum development at Shalhevet School and as head of Milken Community High School, replaces Jeffrey Tremblay, who stepped down to pursue opportunities as a head of school. Harkham Hillel, which runs an early-childhood education enter, an elementary school and a middle school out of its Beverly Hills campus, announced the personnel changes on March 4.
ADL awards crime fighters
"Guided by our respective memories and experiences, together we aim to build a society in which all of us can feel at home,” said Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Ayelet Feiman, expressing her thanks for winning the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) 2013 Helene and Joseph Sherwood Family Prize for Combating Hate.
March 23-29
The popular public-radio series is back with live performances, featuring actors from stage and screen — including Leonard Nimoy, Josh Radnor and Parker Posey — reading classic and new short fiction about the pleasures and travails of everyday activities, from baking to ballroom dancing, card playing to movie watching, and knitting to sex.
2013 Passover calendar
Celebrate Passover, Shabbat and family during a Tot Shabbat with Rabbi Karen Bender, Cantor Alison Wissot and Len Levitt and the Levitty Puppets. Sat. 9:30 a.m. Free. Temple Judea, 5429 Lindley Ave., Tarzana. (818) 758-3800. templejudea.com.
The 21st century B’nai Mitzvah
When Isa Aron considers b’nai mitzvah today, she gets the impression that parents — and sometimes synagogues — care more about their son or daughter performing flawlessly when on the bimah than they do about their forming lasting connections to Judaism.
March 16-22
Celebrate the Jewish people’s deliverance from Egyptian slavery with Pesach events that begin well before the first seder on March 25.
Adam Carolla shares his Jewish inspiration
“I had to be the only goy in the Valley eating tongue when I was 11,” comedian Adam Carolla said. Host of the popular podcast “The Adam Carolla Show,” he was referring to food fed to him by his maternal stepgrandfather, Laszlo Gorog.
Moving and shaking
The Reform leadership organization Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) honored 33 CCAR rabbis who have performed 50 years of service in the rabbinate.
March 9-15
Explore multiple dimensions of Israel with Arieh Saposnik, director of UCLA’s Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, UCLA political science professor Steven Spiegel, visiting scholars and others during this One-Day University program at UCLA.
A day of Holocaust memories
When 89-year-old Max Stodel arrived for a Feb. 17 program at the Skirball Cultural Center marking the run-up to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s (USHMM) 20th anniversary in April, he didn’t come alone.
The Muslim-Jewish side of Russell Simmons
Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons is bringing his passion for Jewish-Muslim relations to the West Coast.
Mar. 2-8
One-third of the legendary Peter, Paul & Mary, the folk icon and political activist has reinvented himself by authoring children’s books that draw on egalitarian themes.
Moving and shaking
Rabbi Avi Stewart has been appointed to the head clergy position at Orthodox congregation Westwood Kehilla on Santa Monica Boulevard. His installation ceremony took place Feb. 13 at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel in Los Angeles.
Feb. 23-Mar. 1
From the San Fernando Valley to Hollywood, West Los Angeles to the Eastside, synagogues and organizations celebrate one of the year’s liveliest holidays, which begins Saturday night. Highlights include Nashuva’s megillah rock opera, the Groundlings performing the story of Esther at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and Sinai Temple poking fun at Taylor Swift and Cee Lo Green during its Purim Grammys. Between family-friendly events, activities for teenagers and risqué fare for ages 21 and older, there is something for everyone.
Purim event calendar 2013
Purim events in Los Angeles for all ages and adults only.
Feb. 16-22
Twelve artists explore personal spiritual healing in the works on display in this new exhibition.
Super Sunday’s fundraising and activism
More than 450 people took part in fundraising and community service activities Feb. 10 as part of Super Sunday, during which The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the Jewish Federation Valley Alliance raised $1,942,736 as part of its annual fundraising campaign.
Local Birthright offerings feature niche trips
Registration began this week for Taglit-Birthright Israel, the program offering free 10-day trips to Israel for Jews ages 18-26 that was created to connect young people to their heritage. This year, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles is co-sponsoring a variety of opportunities: With nine trips and room for 40 people on each, there are 360 spaces available, however many trips fill up quickly.
Feb 9–15, 2013
“This American Life” has earned acclaim for its in-depth coverage of news stories and unlikely subject matter. The popular radio program has redefined the way stories are told. Glass, host of “This American Life,” appears in person to reveal how the culturally significant weekly show went about “Reinventing Radio.” Live at his radio desk, Glass shares the secrets for how he unearths the drama and humor in everyday true stories, mixing clips, music and his own penetrating narration.
Finding holy ground in Pico-Union
With the purchase of the Welsh Presbyterian Church in Central Los Angeles’ Pico-Union neighborhood, Craig Taubman said he is keeping in mind the words of a poem by Rabbi Harold Schulweis, “Thinking Ought,” which urges one to look not at what is but what could be.
‘Schindler’s List’ producer named Mensch
Branko Lustig, the Oscar-winning producer of “Schindler’s List” and a Holocaust survivor, was named Mensch for All Seasons during an International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony on Jan. 29 at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills.
Italian Holocaust victims remembered
The names of 8,000 Italian Jewish victims of the Holocaust were read aloud on Jan. 25 as part of four area events in honor of Italy’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Slain doctor remembered for his love of Judaism
Friends and family of Dr. Ronald Gilbert, the urologist gunned down Monday in the exam room of his Newport Beach offices, told a large crowd gathered for the doctor’s funeral Wednesday he had devoted himself to living a Jewish life.
Exploring ‘Soul of the Biz’
"The money and glamor of Hollywood hides the real truth of its power," Rob Eshman, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Jewish Journal and its parent company, TRIBE Media Corp., said this week. “Its power is in the ability of stories to shape our lives and our values.” “And that,” Eshman said, “is what Hollywood Journal explores.”
Jews fight for food stamps
As many Americans worried about the wide implications of the fiscal cliff debate at the end of last year, Jewish groups concerned about domestic hunger issues fought to protect one issue in particular: food stamp funding.
Feb 2–8, 2013
The president of the 1.5 million-member American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, appears at Temple Isaiah, a Reform congregation committed to community organizing efforts in Westside schools. Weingarten, an advocate for education reform and innovation, will discuss the current and future state of public education, the role of labor unions and the politics of change. Jewish public school teachers; member congregations of OneLA, a broad-based organizing coalition; and the general public are invited. Fri. 6:15 p.m. (Shabbat service), 7:45 p.m. (Weingarten speaks). Free.
Calendar: Jan. 26-Jan. 31
Self-styled playboy Bernard juggles three fiancées — Italian, German and American — each of them a beautiful flight attendant on international routes. But chaos ensues when schedule changes bring all three to Bernard’s apartment at the same time. Michelle Azar, who writes the Yoga Breaths blog for the Journal, stars in this Tony Award-winning comedy. Sat. Through Feb. 10. 8 p.m. $45-$70. La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada. (562) 944-9801. lamiradatheatre.com.
Long Beach synagogue vandalized
Long Beach police are searching for a male suspect who threw a brick at the window of Temple Israel of Long Beach on Jan. 7. This was the second incident of vandalism at the Reform congregation, located at 269 Loma Ave., since the building reopened in October following a major renovation project.
Rabbi explores grief in new memoir, ‘Faith Unravels’
With “Faith Unravels: A Rabbi’s Struggle With Grief and God,” Rabbi Daniel Greyber, former executive director of Camp Ramah in California, has written a memoir that explores the unique grieving process of a clergyman.
Missing Israeli found in North Hollywood
Syril Zimand, a 28-year-old Israeli thought to be missing by his father, turned up in North Hollywood on Jan. 20, approximately 25 days after the father, Henri Zimand, a philanthropist and entrepreneur who lives in Israel and Monaco, told the Jewish Journal and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) that he had lost track of his son’s whereabouts and was concerned for his safety.
Jan 19–25, 2013
Schloss, the childhood friend and stepsister of Anne Frank, appears in person to give a firsthand account of the discovery and printing of Frank’s diary as well as provide insights into Frank’s life. Much like Frank, Schloss survived the Holocaust hidden in a Dutch home before being discovered by the Nazis. A Holocaust educator based in London, Schloss is a trustee with the Anne Frank Educational Trust, U.K., and has shared her experience in the books “Eva’s Story” and “The Promise.” Tue. 6:30 p.m. Free. USC University Park Campus, Bovard Auditorium, Los Angeles. (213) 748-5884. chabadusc.com/anne.
Poetry in motion at Long Beach Shul
A fan of great literature, Rabbi Steven Moskowitz quotes French writer Gaston Bachelard to help explain how dreaming is central to a thriving Judaism.
Local activist seeking asylum for Africans in Israel
A grass-roots effort started by Los Angeles and New York activists is calling on the Israeli government to grant refugee status to African asylum seekers in the Jewish state and to reform the refugee-status determination process.
Jewish war vet groups merging
Members of two local Jewish War Veterans groups have decided to merge, a sign of increasing membership challenges, according to one official.
Jan 12–18. 2013
Celebrate the New Year of the Trees with live musical performances by local favorites Moshav and Israeli rock band Ram2, an eco fair, tree planting activities, a zip line, a petting zoo and a reptile show as well as arts and crafts. Organized by Big Jewish Tent and sponsored by more than 40 synagogues and nonprofits, this annual celebration of nature takes place at the Shalom Institute’s Malibu campus and features fare for all ages.
Syril Zimand, aspiring Israeli filmmaker, missing in Hollywood [UPDATE]
According to Detective L. Saiza of the Los Angeles Police Department's missing-person unit, as of Jan. 7 Henri Zimand has not filed a missing-persons report with the LAPD about his son, Syril Zimand. This despite the fact that Zimand has asked the LAPD, the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles and family living in Los Angeles to help find his son.
Sarah Loew: An optimistic vision
Sarah Loew didn’t just create the Loew Vision Rehabilitation Institute, which improves the lives of people with permanent vision loss — she is also a patient of the facility.
Israeli missing in Los Angeles
The son of an Israeli businessman and philanthropist is believed by his father to be missing in Los Angeles.
Frisbee — the ultimate peace negotiator
Who would have thought that a Frisbee could be used to build bridges between bitter enemies? Ultimate Peace, an organization founded in 2008 by American Ultimate Frisbee players, tries to do just that. By running a weeklong overnight summer camp in Israel and other activities throughout the year that are open to Jewish-Israeli, Arab-Israeli and Palestinian youth, it aims to improve relations between the groups, one flying disc at a time.
Partners in dentistry
For years, partnerships between the United States and Israel have revolved around the military and economics. Now, dentistry can be added to that list. Beverly Hills dentist David Frey has helped raise thousands of dollars for the Jerusalem Dental Center for Children, a nonprofit that provides high-quality dental and preventative care at subsidized rates to families in Jerusalem and throughout Israel.
Temple Judea to hire Rabbi Joshua Aaronson
Members of Temple Judea in Tarzana concluded a yearlong search for a new senior rabbi by voting to hire Rabbi Joshua Aaronson on Jan. 16. The spiritual leader of Temple Har Shalom in Park City, Utah, Aaronson will join Judea, a 1,000-member-family Reform congregation, on July 1, replacing Rabbi Donald Goor.
Calendar Picks and Clicks: Jan 5-11, 2013
Writer and actor B.J. Novak (“The Office,” “Inglourious Basterds”) shares original pieces of comedic fiction in advance of an upcoming collection. Co-star, writer and producer of “The Office,” Novak has a sensibility that draws on a range of influences, from “Saturday Night Live” and “Monty Python” to Woody Allen and the notable anthology “The Big Book of Jewish Humor,” which was co-edited by his father. Sat. 10 p.m. $10. Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 5919 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 908-8702. losangeles.ucbtheatre.com.
Dec 22, 2012 – Jan 4, 2013
Now in its fifth year, Laemmle Theatres hosts a Christmas Eve sing-along screening of “Fiddler on the Roof,” Norman Jewison’s 1971 film adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical. Upon entering the theater, attendees receive lyric sheets for “Matchmaker,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man” and other songs. Mon. 7:30 p.m. $11 (general), $8 (children under 12, seniors 62 and over). Town Center 5, 17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino. NoHo 7, 5240 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Royal Theatre, 11523 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles. (310) 478-3836. laemmle.com.
L.A. interfaith vigil remembers Sandy Hook victims
Rabbi Sharon Brous’ statement on the Newtown, Connecticut shooting
Jews volunteering on Christmas
Whether it’s dressing up as Santa Claus and posing for photographs with low-income kids or serving turkey and ham to the homeless, many Jews volunteer to break out of their element at this time of year in order to bring Christmas joy to families in need.
LaunchBox: Federation releases tool kit for Jewish journey
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles has released LaunchBox, the winner of its Next Big Jewish Idea contest in 2011, the first in an effort to garner community ideas to strengthen Jewish life. LaunchBox was one of more than 300 submissions to the contest.
Mayor Villaraigosa joins Chabad at Menorah lighting
On Dec. 7, the dancing rabbis of Chabad and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa came together at Los Angeles City Hall to celebrate the Festival of Lights.
Social-cultural youth program to launch in L.A.
A new social program for 20- and 30-something Jews is bringing comedian Sarah Silverman, playwright Tony Kushner, New York literary editor Ira Silverberg, and other Jewish artists and cultural leaders all under one tent — metaphorically — in 2013.
Dec. 15-21
Set in 1930s Algiers, this animated adaptation of the beloved series by French comic-book artist Joann Sfar tells the story of a widowed rabbi, his beautiful daughter and a cat that swallows the family parrot and gains the ability to speak.
Chanukah calendar 2012/5773
Enjoy this evening as a date night or a chance to catch up with old friends and mingle with new ones while mixing delicious drinks. Sat. 8 p.m. $30 (drinks and appetizers included). Kehillat Israel, 16019 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. (310) 459-2328. kehillatisrael.org.
LGBT Rights in the Middle East event postponed
A free public panel discussion on “LGBT Rights in the Middle East” that was set to take place on Dec. 5 has been postponed.
Humility vs. humiliation
For much of his life, Rabbi Elijah Schochet disliked the idiom “God willing,” an expression used by people trying to convey that their lives are subject to God’s discretion.
Milken honors educators
“We are planting seeds — not me, but all of us.” With those words of hope offered to her fellow teachers, Lidia Turner, a seventh- and eighth-grade Hebrew teacher at the David Saperstein Middle School of Milken Community High School, accepted the Milken Family Foundation’s 2012 Jewish Educator Award during an assembly at her school on Sept. 21.
Jews and guns: A day on the firing range
Susanne Reyto carefully loaded her rifle and switched the safety off. Peering into the scope attached to the top of the weapon, she pulled the trigger while former U.S. Army platoon leader Charlie Jasper looked on to ensure she was handling her weapon safely.
Dec. 8-14
Calling all kugel aficionados! Whether it’s sweet or savory, the kugel is the ultimate in Jewish-American culinary creativity when it comes to the holiday or family gathering. Today, bring your best kugel (or your favorite tasting fork) to Yiddishkayt’s third quadrennial Kugl Kukh-Off. Part of the Silverlake Independent JCC’s annual Festival of Lights, which features live entertainment and fun for the entire family. Kugel drop-off and registration starts at 11 a.m. and tasting begins at noon. Sun. noon-3 p.m. Kugl Kukh-Off: $2 (all the kugel you can eat and judge).
Bet Tzedek moves east
Ever since Bet Tzedek’s inception in 1974, the free legal-services firm has mostly been housed in the heavily Jewish Fairfax district, with additional offices in the San Fernando Valley and the Mid-Wilshire area.
Hope for injured IDF veterans
An officer in the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) Paratrooper Brigade, Arale Wattenstein was injured during a 2005 operation in the West Bank.
Dec. 1-7
He yells so you don’t have to. Best known for his curmudgeonly commentaries on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Black returns to SoCal with more social and political rants. Sat. 8 p.m. $39.50-$49.50. Terrace Theater, Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. (800) 745-3000. ticketmaster.com.
Holiday preview calendar
Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s paintings exhibited a strangeness, beauty and raw emotion that made him one of the most popular artists of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Nov. 22-29, 2012
Pulitzer Prize finalist Jon Robin Baitz’s first Broadway play unfolds in Palm Springs on Erev Christmas.
His party line
In a world of cutthroat businesses, Eric Elkaim still believes the “more you give, the more you receive.”
Drawing 1,400, peaceful L.A. pro-Israel rally turns ugly near its end [VIDEO]
With an Israeli flag wrapped around him, Rabbi Dov Elkins stood with a crowd outside the Federal building in West Los Angeles on Sunday to participate in a pro-Israel rally.
Nov. 18-21, 2012
Moses’ fate is in your hands. The emancipator of the Israelites is being charged with first-degree murder as well as flight to avoid prosecution during American Jewish University’s 10th annual biblical mock trial. Enter the jury box as prosecutor Laurie Levenson and defense attorney Erwin Chemerinsky argue the case before Judge Burt Pines.
Camp Alonim receives grant from JCamp180
JCamp180, a project of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that aims to enhance long-term effectiveness in Jewish nonprofit overnight camps, has announced that it will begin working with Camp Alonim, one of Southern California’s largest Jewish overnight camps.
New Jew breaks ground
Months after the former JCC at Milken closed its doors at the Bernard Milken Campus in West Hills, officials representing the property’s new owners — New Community Jewish High School (NCJHS) — organized a ceremonial groundbreaking for its new campus.
Jewish World War II veteran Mort Schecter named Veteran of the Year
As a tail gunner stationed on bombers during World War II, Mort Schecter frequently found himself a sitting duck.
Nov. 10-16
A series of panels, workshops and lectures draw like-minded women to this daylong conference. Highlights: CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler delivers the keynote, “Crafting Our Jewish Feminist Narrative”; Jewish Journal Executive Editor Susan Freudenheim moderates “Jewish Women’s Voices in Activism”; Rabbis Rachel Adler (Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion), Sharon Brous (IKAR) and Lisa Edwards (Beth Chayim Chadashim) examine “The Rabbinical Perspective: Women’s Equality Within Judaism”; Jewish Journal Senior Writer Julie Gruenbaum Fax moderates “Mom Activism: Can I Really Be a Mom and an Activist?”; and Journal blogger Ilana Angel joins a panel of speakers addressing “Diversity Within Our Jewish Community: Understanding and Strengthening Each Other.”
Veteran generals address day school students
“Judaism, the Jewish religion and the history of the Jewish people are steeped in values,” said retired Lt. Gen. David Fridovich, who also served in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret. Addressing a crowd of elementary and middle school students from Sinai Akiba Academy and Brawerman Elementary School, Fridovich explained how Jewish values helped him succeed in the armed forces.
Multifaith concert to express ‘Unity’
Craig Taubman, the singer/composer/maestro known for bringing large-scale cultural events to synagogues and other venues across town, is hoping for an audience of 2,000 for his upcoming interfaith concert at Sinai Temple on Nov. 15.
Union workers celebrate at Dodger Stadium
LAX workers were the first to begin the cheers. “Obama! Obama! Obama!” It didn’t take long for others to follow when the news broke out at Dodger Stadium on election night that Barack Obama had been re-elected president.
Nov. 3-9
The legendary entertainer and eight-time Grammy winner brings Broadway to the Bowl for two nights, concluding a tour of the United States and Canada in support of her new album, “Release Me,” a collection of previously unreleased songs. Streisand performs crowd-pleasing hits that span her entire career, including “The Way We Were,” an homage to the late Marvin Hamlisch, and sings duets with son Jason Gould, half-sister Roslyn Kind and more. Pop-jazz trumpeter Chris Botti and Italian operatic trio ll Volo also appear. Fri. 8 p.m. Nov 11. 7:30 p.m. $70.50-$756.50. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. (323) 850-2000. hollywoodbowl.com.
Local Jewish philanthropists receive local heroes award
Delivering his acceptance speech to approximately 300 people from the stage of Club Nokia on the evening of Oct. 23, Abner Goldstine, joined by his wife Roslyn, said that the words of talmudic scholar Hillel inspired the couple to assist low-income Holocaust survivors in Los Angeles.
Broadcast journalists receive Bill Stout Award
“A lot of the work that I do is about uncovering people or institutions … that are not treating people honestly and fairly. I think those are core Jewish values,” said KNBC investigative journalist Joel Grover, who along with KCET’s Val Zavala is being awarded the Bill Stout Memorial Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism.
$5,000 to be awarded to social justice educator
Humanities educators from secondary schools across the globe — from California to North Carolina, Ohio to South Africa — are competing to win $5,000 in a contest sponsored by Facing History and Ourselves, an organization dedicated to bringing lessons about the Holocaust and other genocides to classrooms everywhere.
ADL: 1,080 Anti-Semitic incidents in 2011
An audit released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Nov. 1 reported that 1,080 anti-Semitic incidents took place across the United States in 2011; of those, 235 incidents took place in California. For the third consecutive year, California led the nation in the number of anti-Semitic incidents, according to the report.
Federation Shabbat initiative gets grand response
Last year, on a Friday night, Margy Feldman was in her backyard when she heard her next-door neighbors singing “Shalom Aleichem.”
Jewish Vocational Service objects to employee union vote
Jewish Vocational Service (JVS), a nonprofit that provides career counseling, workshops and job-related resources, is disputing the results of an Oct. 10 election that would unionize 91 of its employees who work with GAIN (Greater Avenues for Independence).
Oct. 27–Nov 2, 2012
IKAR’s Rabbi Sharon Brous and Rabbi Ronit Tsadok, American Jewish University’s Rabbi Aryeh Cohen and leaders of social justice organization Bend the Arc discuss the November ballot initiatives through a Jewish lens, addressing what Jewish tradition says about the death penalty, criminal justice and income equality.
Israel for a Cure participates in AIDS Walk
Israel and American men and women of all ages, representatives of Israeli and Jewish community organizations and others turned out to walk with Israel for a Cure, one of approximately 1,700 teams that participated in the AIDS Walk Los Angeles on Oct. 14.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder fights money in politics
Wearing a T-shirt that read “Stamp Money Out of Politics,” Ben Cohen, co-founder of ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, unveiled a grass-roots campaign in North Hollywood on Oct. 11 denouncing the influence of money in politics.
Honoring Daniel Pearl with music
“Open your mind, and you will see the garden of the world.” Fifth- through eighth-grade students from New Horizon School, a Muslim day school in Pasadena, sang these words loudly and in unison from the stage of the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center, while a boy in the audience, whose head was covered in an oversized kippah, played air-guitar to the rhythm of the song.
Calendar Picks and Clicks: Oct. 20-26, 2012
When Israeli documentary filmmaker David Fisher discovers the memoir of his late father, a Holocaust survivor who was interned in Gusen and Gunskirchen, Austria, Fisher decides to retrace his father’s footsteps.
A debate party turned sober
“It’s nerve-wracking for me to watch this debate,” said Julie Moss, 26, while watching the first of three U.S. presidential debates, on Oct. 3, on a flat-screen TV above a cocktail bar at Lola’s Restaurant.
Calendar Picks and Clicks: Oct. 13-19, 2012
Dedicated to the life and memory of journalist Daniel Pearl, this October music month features concerts across the globe, including today’s performance of “Songs of Salomone Rossi: Harmony for Humanity” by Tesserae at Contrapuntal Recital Hall in Brentwood. Other concerts include Ray Dewey (Oct. 16);
A life saved during Kol Nidre service
Lips and face blue, Temple Akiba congregant Duke Molner lay unconscious, without a pulse, outside the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Culver City, during Kol Nidre services on Sept. 25.
Oct. 6-12
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem discusses reproductive rights and their importance in the upcoming presidential election. While this free event is open to the public, seating is limited. RSVP to zoe@history.ucla.edu. Sun. 7 p.m. Free. UCLA campus, Broad Art Center, Room 2160E, Los Angeles. (310) 825-4601. history.ucla.edu/events/gloria-steinem-lecture.
Sukkot and Simchat Torah calendar
Help the LGBT congregation build its sukkah and add decorations made with recycled and found oubjects. Service and potluck follow. Sun. 10 a.m. (sukkah building), 4:30 p.m. (sukkah decorating), 6 p.m. (service and potluck). Free. Beth Chayim Chadashim, 6090 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 931-7023. bcc-la.org.
Rosh Hashanah, Israeli-style
It’s Sunday night, Erev Rosh Hashanah, and Hebrew chatter fills the air of a Masonic center on Westwood Boulevard. Approximately a dozen round tables covered in white cloths fill the large room.
Advertisement
Current Print Edition
May 17-23, 2013
What does it mean to be your brother's keeper? Lessons from the Cleveland kidnappings
Advertisements
Advertisements
Site Sections
Newspaper
Serving a community of 600,000, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles is the largest Jewish weekly outside New York City. Our award-winning paper reaches over 150,000 educated, involved and affluent readers each week. Subscribe here.
© Copyright 2013 Tribe Media Corp.
All rights reserved. JewishJournal.com is hosted by Nexcess.net. Homepage design by Koret Communications.
Widgets by Mijits. Site construction by Hop Studios.
